VCU Rams

August 31, 2008

RAMS OPEN SEASON AT RUTHERFORD INTERCOLLEGIATE
VCU in fourth after day one

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—Virginia Commonwealth University has had its share of basketball success, and VCU golf coach Matt Ball is borrowing from the sport’s lingo after his team’s first round of the season.

“Speaking in basketball terms, we didn’t take care of the ball early on,” Ball said. “We missed some easy chip-ins, or lay-ups, so to speak. We’ve got to work on getting the ball up and down and play a little more solid the next couple days.”

The Rams find themselves in fourth place at the 12-team Rutherford Intercollegiate at Nemacolin’s Mystic Rock. VCU recorded a first-day total of 301 (+13), 12 shots back of Miami (Ohio) for the lead. Purdue is in second after shooting 7-over 295. Host Penn State, the 33rd-ranked team in the nation, is one shot ahead of VCU for third place.

Juniors Rafael Campos (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) and Vincent Nadeau (Penhook, Va.) led the Rams on day one. Each fired a 2-over 74, putting them in a tie for 11th place. Campos was 5-over through 13 holes after recording five bogeys and one birdie. Despite battling a neck injury that prevented him from turning his head to the left, Campos recovered with a birdie at the par-4 14th and another at the par-3 17th.

“Thank goodness for Rafa,” Ball said. “He really battled today with a very injured neck. He woke up a couple days ago in Richmond and couldn’t move his neck. It hurt him so bad yesterday that he couldn’t even play the practice round. We did what we could today to get him ready to go today.”

Nadeau battled a back-and-forth front nine, recording two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey. Nadeau found more consistency on the back nine with one birdie and one bogey.

“Vinny was just his normal self,” Ball said. “He’s a bulldog out there on the course.”

Junior Lanto Griffin (Blacksburg, Va.) recorded an even-par 36 on the back nine after a 4-over 40 on the front nine, giving him a 4-over 76 for the day. Sophomore Mark Jargren (Helsingborg, Sweden) recorded a team-high four birdies, but also logged five bogeys and two double-bogeys en route to a 5-over 77. In his first collegiate tournament, Chase Sargent (Orlando, Fla.) carded a 6-over 78 to round out the Rams’ scoring.

“This is a beautiful course,” Ball said of Nemacolin’s Mystic Rock. “It’s definitely not easy by any stretch. It’s a very challenging course. These are the types of courses that show what type of team you really have.”

The Rams will resume play in the three-day tournament with Monday’s second round. The second batch of 18 holes will begin at 7:30 a.m.

“We didn’t play as well today as we’re capable of playing, but we didn’t play ourselves out of contention,” Ball said. “We’ll get back out and practice tonight and hopefully have a good round tomorrow.”